Where to find free meals at Coast schools during the coronavirus shutdown
The Mississippi Department of Education has provided a statewide list of schools offering free and reduced-price meals while schools are closed because of the new coronavirus.
On Tuesday, the department’s Office of Child Nutrition secured two waivers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to offer grab-and-go meals.
Contact the local schools to find out what times they are available for pickup.
Here’s a list of South Mississippi school districts offering meals and the locations where meals are being provided:
Biloxi School District
- Gorenflo Elementary
- North Bay Elementary
- Popp’s Ferry Elementary
*Note: Meals are available to anyone 18 or younger, beginning Thursday and can be picked up in a car line at the schools between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
Hancock County School District
Grab-and-go meals offered to all children 18 or younger from 11 a.m. to noon:
- Hancock North Central Elementary
- South Hancock Elementary
Jackson County School District
- St. Martin High School
- Vancleave Middle School
Long Beach School District
From 10:30 a.m. to noon, free grab-and go meals for children 18 and under and $3 meals available for adults, exact change required.
- Quarles Elementary
Pascagoula-Gautier School District
- College Park Elementary
- Colmer Middle School
Pass Christian School District
- Delisle Elementary
- Pass Christian Elementary/Middle School
Harrison County School District
The district will provide Grab and Go meals beginning Thursday to all children 18 and younger. According to USDA guidelines, children must be present to receive a meal.
The meals can be picked up weekdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at these nine school locations:
- Crossroads Elementary School
- D’Iberville Middle School
- Harrison Central Elementary School
- North Gulfport Middle School
- Pineville Elementary School
- Three Rivers Elementary School
- Woolmarket Elementary School
- West Harrison High School
- West Wortham Elementary/Middle School
Also, in Gulfport, state Rep. Sonya Williams Barnes in partnership with Feed My Sheep will offer meals to school-age children from noon to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday at the following locations:
- Emerald Pines Apartments, 3318 39th Ave.
- Morning Star Baptist Church, 2050 Thornton Ave.
- Forest Heights Boys & Girls Club, 201 Holly Circle
More information can be found at https://mdek12.org/OCN
This story was originally published March 18, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
